Dreamland
by ESpencer
Summary: Bette's final moments from her POV. Kind of poetic, but not really. Please R&R!


The room was dim at noon. The clock was ticking on the wall. I could still make sense of the most mundane things, but nothing else. I didn't understand why my parents weren't home. I didn't understand what was happening to me. I didn't understand what force was holding me to the earth. I was in a dreamland; stuck on the edge of reality. Like having one of those dreams when you are just about to fall asleep, but then you wake up again because you feel like you're falling off a cliff.

That was how I felt now. Only I didn't fall, and I didn't wake up. I was stuck mid-fall, floating helplessly with the weight of the sky pushing down on me. I wondered if this was what it felt like to die. I didn't see my life flash before my eyes, but I never did believe that that actually happened. Or maybe I did. I couldn't really remember now.

The only thing that seemed to be holding me here anymore, the thing that kept my feet on the ground, was Charlie. My sweet, annoying, butterball of a little brother. Only nine years old, much too innocent to cope on his own. Especially in a world like this.

I knew I needed help, though I was beginning to forget why. My head hurt; it hurt like invisible hands were squeezing my brain. It was worse on the left. Or was that my right? I definitely needed help. I stumbled towards the church. I remembered that help was underneath the church. Dahra was underneath the church. Dahra would help me; if it was even possible to help me.

I walked, but didn't feel the movement. I didn't feel the steady push and pull of my muscles. I didn't feel my weight, evenly distributed on my legs. I tripped several times, but felt no pain. The last time I tripped I thought about staying on the ground. I didn't want to move. Dying could not be as bad as being alive in the FAYZ. It couldn't be bad when the last thing you saw was a bright blue sky. I could rest here with my fingers intertwined, underneath the innocent sky.

"Get up, Bette. I need you, I need you to get up." Charlie whispered to me.

"Okay," I replied. My voice sounded higher, more reedy than usual.

I walked to the church and stumbled down the cold, hard, concrete steps. Dahra was there. There were other people too, but I didn't remember who they were. They were fluttering around the room like nervous butterflies, blissfully unaware of my demise.

"My head hurts," I half whispered. Dahra turned towards me, she looked confused. I didn't understand why. I had spoken quite clearly.

"Elwood, wake up," Dahra said. It seemed like her words and her lips were not moving in synch.

A little girl, propped up on a bed, said something that I could not hear. Her voice was so tiny, so far away. A boy screamed something, but my brain didn't process it fast enough to understand.

"Shut up! Everyone shut up." I understood Dahra only because she repeated her command.

"I'm sorry," my voice sounded small, even to me.

"I didn't mean you, Bette. Just lie back." I didn't remember my name being Bette. But then I did remember. I was Bette, and he was Charlie, and the big ones were Mommy and Daddy. _MommyDaddyBetteandCharlie! _

"My head hurts."

"Did someone hit you, Bette?" A boy asked me the question. I didn't remember. Had someone hit me? All I could remember was Charlie.

_MommyDaddyBetteandCharlie! _

_MommyDaddyBetteandCharlie! _

"One side of her body isn't working right. Look at the way her mouth is drooping. And her eyes. They don't match." I heard Dahra but could not understand. I didn't know what she was talking about. But then I did know. It was like the game. Head, shoulders, knees and toes. Knees and toes! And eyes, and ears, and mouth, and nose.

_!_

"My head hurts bad." No one seemed to understand what I was saying. I hoped that they weren't as confused as I was.

"I think she's saying her head hurts," another girl finally said. Yay! She got it! Ten points! "What do we do?"

I couldn't hold up my head anymore. I didn't know how to make my neck work. I let it rest against the pillows. I was tired. So, so, tired. I just wanted to close my eyes and fall asleep. Forever. The people around me started to fade, their outlines becoming less and less distinguishable. The pillows turned into clouds, and I was floating. I saw my Mommy. I saw my Daddy. I saw my Charlie, but he was not with Mommy and Daddy.

"Take care of my brother. My little brother," I said. Realizing that Charlie would not be coming with Mommy, Daddy, and me.

I walked towards my parents, all of us smiling. They turned to let me through. Beyond my parents there was light.

**Just for clarification: I realize that this was pretty much all over the place. Let's face it though, the girl was pretty loopy when she died. I was also trying to go for a poetic/metaphoric angle, which I probably failed miserably at. I am also pleased that this is my first Gone fanfic in which I have not had a single mention of Caine, Diana, and Drake. Go me ;)! So, please leave reviews. I love to hear what you guys think!**

**~E**


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